Mario Balotelli
Rarely has a Liverpool player been more ‘available’ than the Italian. Jurgen Klopp told the Telegraph back in June that Balotelli should leave at the first opportunity – and now we’re simply waiting for a suitable offer. Hopefully the striker’s wages won’t stop him. There’s no way he can stay at Liverpool training with kids for a season, is there?
Christian Benteke
Benteke didn’t feature at all during pre-season and is available for transfer, providing a club stumps up the £32.5m we paid for him. Crystal Palace and West Brom have been linked with his services, but the manager has told potential suitors Benteke won’t be a ‘present’ to a new club via Sky Sports, suggesting this one could run right up until deadline day.
Lazar Markovic
Returning from loan in Turkey with an aim to prove himself to the boss, Markovic did ok during the summer but wasn’t in the match-day squad for the Arsenal clash – perhaps a damning indictment. He needs regular football, badly – and we wouldn’t begrudge the talented Serbian a switch anywhere.
Tiago Ilori
Simply surplus to requirements. Ilori is at the Olympics with Brazil, but is way down our central defensive pecking order and will not have a part to play this term bar a massive injury crisis. The likes of Ragnar Klavan, Dejan Lovren, Joel Matip, Mamadou Sakho and Joe Gomez leave us well covered. Ilori should find himself a new club, as at 23, his career is stalling.
Lucas Leiva
Inter Milan are the latest club to be linked to our longest serving player, via the Express. He’s down the central midfield pecking order and if he wants regular first-team football he’ll need to leave – with Galatasaray and Besiktas previously linked. Jurgen Klopp has chosen not to sell yet, but we can see that changing before September, especially with Kevin Stewart a reliable backup to Emre Can as anchorman.
Andre Wisdom
Like Ilori, Wisdom isn’t needed as a central defender, despite playing a regular role during pre-season. The Englishman is 23 now and needs to play, while we’re not sure he’d get a single minute if he stayed at Anfield. Celtic were linked in June (via Daily Mail), but nothing happened – so another loan deal is a possibility.